Why it matters
The commission served as a public-facing layer of review for development activity, but city staff and several council members argued the body had become a “rubber stamp.”
“There [were] three defers over the past three to five years that ultimately came back and passed with staff recommendation,” Norman McGuire, assistant city administrator and public works director, said.
Meetings lasted just “five or 10 minutes,” said Hardman, who requested monthly and quarterly reports from staff to maintain oversight.
“I understand the frustration, but if it's going to be essentially a rubber stamp meeting, then I see some value in the efficiency,” Hardman said. “I want to see a monthly report from staff to us about what's being proposed. We need to have that check and balance outside of staff.”
McGuire said the elimination of the commission could save time for both city staff and developers.
“It really does create efficiency in the process itself,” McGuire said. “It can speed up responses for plat submittals, and it definitely speeds up our time to address the next one or to move on to the next process or project.”
Wood and Mayor Duke Coon pushed back on both the process and the principle. Wood said it's another layer of transparency for ethics on both sides, with “staff making sure that those on the planning commission are doing what's right, and vice versa.”
“The Planning Commission is a bridge between our citizens and our city government,” Coon said. “There's a larger function, a larger purpose. It's a window for our citizens to look at what we do as a city in our government. I hate that I think we’re about to close that window.”
Next steps
With the ordinance change, staff will now handle plat approvals directly, with appeals going to council, City Attorney Mike Garner said.
Council member Marsha Porter said she would like to see Conroe City Council have a “little more control, especially when residents call about development they weren’t aware of.”
